Rockford Human Services employees earn national certification

The following City of Rockford Human Services Department employees were awarded the Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) distinction at the Community Action Partnership 50th Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., Aug. 22: Christopher Greenwood, Community Health and Prevention coordinator; Annie Hobson, outreach worker; Faniqua Hughes, Head Start Support Services manager; and Angie Walker, housing advocate. They join their co-workers Owen Carter, George Davis and Jennifer Jaeger who have previously received CCAP status. (Photo provided)

Online Staff Report

The following City of Rockford Human Services Department employees were awarded the Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP) distinction at the Community Action Partnership 50th Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., Aug. 22: Christopher Greenwood, Community Health and Prevention coordinator; Annie Hobson, outreach worker; Faniqua Hughes, Head Start Support Services manager; and Angie Walker, housing advocate. They join their co-workers Owen Carter, George Davis and Jennifer Jaeger who have previously received CCAP status.

The Community Action Partnership is the non-profit national membership organization representing the interests of 1,100 Community Action Agencies (CAAs) across the country, including the City of Rockford Human Services Department, which serves as the CAA for Winnebago and Boone counties. The partnership developed the Certified Community Action Professional program in 1992 as a peer recognition certification for CAA employees that acknowledges experience, recognizes excellence and validates achievement.

CCAP candidates must complete a rigorous two-year program, including providing an extensive record of their management and leadership skills and involvement in anti-poverty initiatives at the local, state and national levels. It also includes developing a portfolio highlighting their education, training and accomplishments, and passing a written exam of their knowledge of the causes and remedies of poverty. Five-hundred fifty CCAPs help 17 million Americans annually achieve economic security when challenged by the causes and conditions of poverty.

“This year is particularly significant as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act on Aug. 20, 1964, which created Community Action Agencies as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty initiative,” said George Davis, executive director of the City of Rockford Human Services Department.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of Christopher, Annie, Faniqua and Angie and their personal commitment to their professional growth,” Davis continued. “Their efforts will certainly strengthen the work all of us do on behalf of the most vulnerable in our community.

“Whether it’s Head Start, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, post-high school education and training scholarships, homeless prevention, small business loans, community gardens, or one of its many other programs, the City of Rockford Human Services Department is committed to helping people, supporting communities, and improving the quality of life throughout the Winnebago and Boone County area,” Davis added.